Metallica Cancels Two Concerts, Indian Fans Trash Stage (VIDEOS)

10/29/2011 09:48 am ET
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Updated
Dec 29, 2011

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Denied the opportunity to see the kings of heavy metal, fans in India made some of their own.

Set to play their first ever concert in India on Friday in the city of Guragon, Metallica and show promoter DNA Networks announced just prior to the gig's planned opening that they'd have to postpone it until Saturday due to "failure of a security barricade in front of the stage that could not be adequately repaired."

NDTV and IBN report that, following a rush into the venue upon one gate opening, the fans that managed to get in spent the next several hours pushing toward the stage as venue officials made multiple announcements asking them to stand back. When the concert was finally postponed, it did not sit well with the some 25,000 fans who had traveled from throughout the country to see this seminal moment in Indian pop culture history.

Riots ensued, with fans setting banners on fire and rushing the stage to trash instruments that had already been set up for the band. A number of fans were injured, IBN reported, and major traffic jams ensued.

To add insult to injury, the performance that was deferred to Saturday in Delhi didn't go down, either; the band and promoter, as it turned out, were unable to obtain the proper permission to hold the event the following day. As a result, not only are refunds are being offered to all paying customers, the promoter is paying an additional price: four of its organizers were arrested for swindling fans, with charges including selling more tickets than the venue could seat and not telling fans about the cancellations on time.

The concert was part of the nation's first Formula One race series; Lady Gaga is scheduled to perform Saturday to close out the major event.